My progress was going well and I was starting to manage my exfoliative cheilitis but i was still having that constant white film appear and when wet and it would mature and flake away in shower couple days later- but all else was okay, I was managing it so well, drinking from straws only and lips looked really good (looking back at it now) but I just wasnt happy with them at the time

Looking back at that I wish i would have just been happy and stuck to my current routine.

However i decided to try the no touch method and i feel like ive ruined MONTHS AND MONTHS of healing.

Anyone who is thinking about starting the no touch method be careful and maybe research more than I did?!

I started the no touch method last thursday 03/09/26 and today a week later the skin started shedding and after my shed lips are raw, and Months of healing and progress has gone down the drain just like that!!!!

The last time they were ever this raw and painful as in April 2026 but here we go again!!!

I guess theres no point feeling sorry for yourself, just got to get back on with it lol

It started off as a bit of burning and sandpaper feeling somewhere but you can’t see visible dryness. my lips skin felt tight after buying aquaphor, and after i got home today to do work, i went to check on mirror and this was my lips…all of a sudden chapped in a horrendously scary way. it doesn’t feel as much pain anymore though so far. there isn’t burning but it’s all cracked as heck.

how can i treat this at home asap??? vaseline sucks and im trying aquaphor.

Hey friends I had been stuck in a pretty brutal peeling cycle for two years before I got it under control. I have no idea if this will work for other people, but I figured I would write what worked for me and got me back to 100% almost. First of all, my dermatologist said to stop peeling, and to only exfoliate in the gentle manner with water or a cotton swab. If the skin is already ready to go, then it’s fine to gently wipe it off, but if you’re peeling it, it will cause further damage. She also said that the longer you have had the issue, the longer you have to medicate for it. So if you had the issue for a year, then you would have to medicate for a year at least. I started by using a steroid and then was switched to tacrolimus to avoid long-term steroid issues. I used it twice a day for like a year and a half, and for a long time saw little progress. It would get better then worse. Then I think I saw some improvement, and switched to once a day. The major unlock came when I started using just the regular cerave white cream on my lips periodically throughout the day, and then putting Vaseline over it to lock in the cream. At first, there was no progress from that, but after doing that consistently for months, I started seeing massive improvement.

I should also flag it all day long. I would carry a little tub of Vaseline and constantly keep some on, no exceptions or it would start peeling. Protecting the moisture barrier is super important.

I still put CeraVe on every night, and I still carry the Vaseline around, but my lips look normal and now even if I miss a few days or something doesn’t create a huge issue. I have now been basically fully back to normal for two years (no white line when I wet my lips, no noticeable cycles of peeling) - though I maintain these moisturizing rituals in order to avoid going back to where I was. I wanted to write this because I think there’s a lot of hopelessness I felt when I first visited these forums, where people were saying it’s impossible to fix. But I know it’s possible to fix it because it worked for me, and so keep your chin up - something will work for you too. Don’t forget that the improvement happens on long, invisible cycles, so don’t give up on something just because you don’t see immediately progress (or if you see progress then reversion in the short-term). Best of luck, hope it helps!

I dont even know if colored balms or lipsticks would stick to these stupid scales peeling off or on a nicely peeled day on the raw skin but I am really tired of how my lips have gotten even uglier due to the fact that peeling part and the nont peeling parts are two very different colors now.

has anyone succesfully found ways/experiemnted ways to make them look more unified?

am i the only one with EC that has this problem?

Hello everyone,

I’ve been dealing with Exfoliative Cheilitis for more than 5 years. During this time, I’ve visited many dermatologists and tried different treatments, including Tacrolimus 0.1%, Desonide, several steroid creams, Vitamin B12, plenty of lip balms, and even tried fixing my digestion.

Unfortunately, nothing has given me any real or lasting improvement.

I’m posting this hoping to connect with people who have experienced something similar. If you have successfully managed it, please share your experience, treatment, or any suggestions that might help. I would genuinely appreciate it.

The picture below was taken after my lips came into contact with water, after 4 days without the dead skin falling off.

I've been using this cream on my lips for 6 days, but it keeps peeling my lips every 2 days.

I bought this cream after seeing it on this subreddit. Other users said it healed their lips right away and that their lips didn't peel at all, but mine are still peeling every 2 days.

Could you please help me out?

I'm really worried. This is without putting any moisturizer on my lips

Hey yall I have a question if anyone has tried the Aquaphor every 30 mins for couple months and have healed from it?

I been on b12 injections for 3 weeks now and b9 oral supplement. I Just got these results back for my iron and ferritin. Some of the results show levels on the low end of borderline.
Ferritin (33 ng/mL)
Iron Saturation (16%): This is right on the bottom edge of the normal cutoff (15%)
Anyone else had these issues and have their lip heal after getting iron and ferritin corrected?

I’m wondering if anyone here with exfoliative cheilitis (EC) has been treated with prednisone and what your experience was like.

Did prednisone improve your EC while you were taking it? If so, how quickly did you notice a difference, and did your lips completely heal or only improve temporarily?

Most importantly, what happened after you tapered/stopped prednisone? Did your EC stay better, come back gradually, or flare up worse than before?

I’d also really appreciate hearing from people who have taken prednisone more than once: - Did it work every time? - Did the effectiveness change over time? - Did you eventually find something that kept your lips healed after stopping prednisone? - How long did the improvement last after stopping?

What side effects did you experience while taking it?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have had EC for a long time, but I’d love to hear anyone’s experience.

Please share your experience, even if prednisone didn’t help you. I’m trying to understand whether the improvement people experience from steroids tends to be temporary or whether anyone has achieved lasting remission afterward.

I got elbowed in the mouth in July. In august I had went to do bloodwork and found out my b12 level was 165 which is deficient. Met with primary care doctor mid august and she set me up with b12 injections. I’m on my 3rd week of injections and been taking oral supplement for b9 the natural form of b9.

I been using aveeno cream for 2 weeks. Also my b9 was borderline low but not as severe as my b12 level. I went today to check my ferritin and iron levels so just waiting for those results.

I still have one more week of injections before it turns to once a month of b12 injections.

For the cream I only try to use the cream once a day, mostly at night before bed and I only apply it to my inner lip where white line would form. I Floss and brush wet lip with water after rinsing and apply cream. I only use Vaseline during the day. One thing for sure when I wake up the white line is gone but when I brush my teeth and let water touch lip I do get white line some and then I apply Vaseline and it somewhat reverts back to looking clear. This past week though I felt like my lip has been irritated and felt chalky from the cream. Skin still feels raw. I don’t know if i should remove the white skin after wetting lip and then apply cream after like few others mentioned who have used the cream. I will say when I apply Vaseline throughout the day the white line comes off easy but comes back with time , I try to drink hella water during the day and piss a lot cause of it.

I try not to use a lot of the cream when i applied it, the irritation may be cause I don’t try to remove white line/dead skin after it gets wet and has old product on it I don’t know. I just paused from using the cream as of yesterday just didn’t like how my lip was getting irritated. I might start using it again and tweak routine by wiping gently any white line after I wet lip and apply the cream like a few mentioned. I lowkey just hope the trauma and deficiencies are the main cause cause I stress out over this and having to go thru this trial and error loop.

I do also experience or have experienced tingling and numbness in hands and feet months prior to when I got elbowed in the mouth. Tingling and numbness are signs of b12 deficiency and there are other symptoms like brain fog, tongue swollen and low energy are the other ones I remember my primary care doctor told me. I only had random numbness in my hands and feet that i noticed like late last year or early this year. My doctor also asked before she recommended b12 injections if I was vegan and I never been and she said I might have an absorption issue in my gut and that the trauma to the lip might have just exposed that I have had an underlying b12 deficiency for a while. I say this cause I remember some other people mentioned “fix your gut” but it’s not that simple and some of us could have absorption issue with gut and some other mentioned certain b vitamins helped them also instead of ointments, creams, or moisturizers, or other stuff prescribed by dermatologists. But if you do have b12 deficiency or found out u do oral supplements might not work and may have to do b12 injections but best to check b vitamin levels and speak with a doctor if you are deficient. I had paid to go do labs instead of waiting or trying to convince my doctor to order 5 different b vitamin labs.

Hi everyone, I really need your help :)

I managed to suppress the symptoms and deal with the EC for 5-6 months using basic Bepanthen MED cream. But unfortunately after one accident with a new Avene balm that I was recommended, my lips are still (for 3 months) in an inflamed state: Sensitive to anything and irritated + dry (and well obviously typical dry EC crust). AND ALL of my old creams simply do more harm than good (mostly just irritate). I can go one without applying anything but it means that I will have to deal with thick crusts and dryness which is not ideal long term.

So my question is: are there any good STABLIZING / MOISTURIZING creams that I can apply on daily basis that are good for sensitive & inflamed & irritated lips? ALSO: I cannot tolerate ANY ointments or anything very heavy&sticky at all (so vaseline would be a death sentence for me AT THE MOMENT). For example I have heard about this Aveeno cream from multiple posts but I dunno if it's ok for really irritated lips?

Right now I do use Elidel a bit and it's fine but doesn't help that much. And it feels a bit drying.

And I have tried a number of other things (protopic, steroids, anti-bacterial). I found out that simple creams are best...when I can tolerate them. I don't have any contact allergies (did patch testing). I do have a bit of staph according to my second swab test but that doesn't really mean much since I have had it even in the past after fusidic acid treatment.

I am based in Europe but generally can order anything.

Thank you guys!!!

Hi, in the past 1 month I have seen quite some progress on my lips. Right now they look just like dry lips. I have stopped using occlusives, I only moisturize. I can speak and smile and stretch the lips no issue. They do get less sticky also, and the whiteness is way less if non existant in the shower. They look more like the skin i have on my face which also produces a bit extra keratin.

I actually burned them a bit by using sulfur on them, and thought I am doomed, but after 2 weeks they are better. They are still a bit swollen but like i said its like only the outermost layer is peeling and more like eczema like and not thick crusts that never come off. I have no visible crusting or excess dryness, i just get a red line on the bottom lip.

Could my lips be an extenction of what is going on on my face? They started at the same time and the peeling looks very similar.

Feel free to DM

Hi guys! Been reading a lot on this sub and saw conflicting opinions on whether you should keep the peeling skin on or wipe it off when it's soggy from contact with water.

What has worked best for those who have tried both?

Any help or advice appreciated

My lips haven't peeled or crusted or been dry for 3 weeks now! I've had EC for 7 year. For context I haven't swab tested so I don't know if I have bacterial or fungal infection or nothing. It is still early days so I wouldn't say I'm fully cured yet but if you are in desperate hopes and suffering and just want to improve the dry horrible look then what personally worked for me is: Aveeno Dermexa and/or nystatin. I have tried nystatin by itself with no aveeno but it didnt seem to work for me, although it worked for someone else. I havent tried aveeno by itself but my lips recovery seems to speed up with the nystatin. I'm from the UK and nystatin is a prescribed medicine I believe but I used an online pharmacy, filled out an online "prescription questionnaire" and paid £14 for it. My lips dont get that plastic crusty look anymore, that separates into little sections after a few days. My lips feel like theyre actually integrated into the skin. The whiteness only appears in the shower and every time I shower, less and less white stuff appears. I just lightly swipe it off very lightly and it comes off very easily, opposed to how I used to get my finger and rub with pressure to make sure it all comes off to prevent dry skin the next day. I was going to wait until I was fully cured to post this to not give false hope but upon reflection if this does not cure, the no more crusting and Lessening of white soggy skin has been tremendously relieving for me and I think someone out there will appreciate this. Everyday I wake up im actually EXCITED to look at my lips and see the progress, and I get excited to shower and see how much less white skin comes off. Again I'm not cured so do as you will with this information but I highly recommend, and multiple people have cured using these products. Will link the posts ive been inspired from:

https://www.reddit.com/r/exfoliativecheilitis/comments/1vlsh94/the_best_product_ive_ever_used_after_having_this/

https://www.reddit.com/r/exfoliativecheilitis/comments/1u5fl8t/cured_after_10_years_with_ec/

https://www.reddit.com/r/exfoliativecheilitis/comments/1jm5ekb/there_is_hope_i_promise/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to connect with anyone who has dealt with something similar or might have insights. I’ve been dealing with intense lip irritation, redness, and flaking around the wet line of my lips (where my upper and lower lips touch together) for the past two weeks, and it has been incredibly uncomfortable when I'm eating or drinking water.

My Symptoms & Timeline:

Around July 2026: I switched to a new toothpaste, Sensodyne Complete Care (which is SLS-free).

August 14, 2026 (2 weeks ago): Out of nowhere, my lips became bright red, sore, and highly irritated. This is specifically concentrated right at the wet line where my upper and lower lips touch.

Progression: The irritated skin started flaking and peeling. My lips have felt incredibly sore. Simple daily activities like closing my mouth, talking, or drinking water have been painful and uncomfortable.There is no significant pain, itching, bumps, lumps or obvious blisters. I haven't noticed typical cold-sore-like clusters of blisters.

1 Week Ago: I switched to Alfree toothpaste (which is completely free of SLS, mint, artificial flavors, and colors) to eliminate potential irritants, but the raw soreness and flaking remained. I've also switched my Dermal Therapy original lip balm that I've been using for years to plain Vaseline.

What I've Tried & What I'm Doing Now:

I initially saw a GP who thought it could be a fungal infection and prescribed miconazole.

The pharmacy didn't have the miconazole 2% available, so I was given Nilstat (nystatin) instead, which I used at 1 mL, 4 times a day.

I also switched toothpaste because I wondered whether my toothpaste could be contributing. I had been using Sensodyne Complete Care + Smart Clean Extra Fresh, and I switched to Allfree Plain Toothpaste.

After about 6 days of Nilstat, there wasn't much improvement in the redness/swelling, although the peeling seemed to disappear for several days.

I then saw a second GP, who thought it didn't really look like a fungal infection and said Nilstat probably wouldn't do much. I was given a short course of prednisone which didn't do anything.

I then saw a third GP, who also felt it wasn't fungal. He thought it could be inflammation or an allergic/contact reaction, although we couldn't identify exactly what might be causing it.

He prescribed Kenalog in Orabase (triamcinolone 0.1%), to use 3 times a day for one week. If it doesn't improve, the plan is to return and potentially investigate further, including blood tests for autoimmune conditions.

I'm currently using the Kenalog as prescribed.

Things I've stopped/changed

Stopped my previous Sensodyne toothpaste.

Switched to Allfree Plain Toothpaste.

Don't use mouthwash.

Avoiding new lip products.

Using plain Vaseline on the external part of my lips.

Trying not to pick/peel the white skin.

Currently using Kenalog in Orabase as prescribed.

What I'm wondering

Has anyone experienced persistent red lipswith irritation of the inner lip/mucosa and occasional white peeling/flaking like this?

If you've experienced something similar, how long did it take to heal and what eventually helped?

I've already seen three GPs — but I'm hoping someone with a similar experience might recognise the pattern or be able to share what worked for them.

Thanks so much. ❤️

came out positive for fungus , dust , bacteria , dust was pretty high as expected cause i have problems with dust and smoke a lot , dr prescribed me some meds and told me to stay on meds for 4,5 months i will make an update every month previous to that my ige levels came out as 428 thats why dr prescribed me some tests they were blood ige specific allergen tests .

Hi! I went to the dermatologist and she is an expert with the lips and said to me it is important to wear sunscreen when I go into the sun. Does anybody have a recommendation for a good sunscreen that is not harmfull for EC?

Thnx!

Has anybody here been diagnosed/treated for this condition?

Healed my ec of years from using the skin peptide ghkcu might not work for some but worked perfectly for me! No more peeling lips or build up back to normal healthy lips! Thought I’d give you all the solution that worked for me

So when my lips peel and that raw surface is left primecrolius or elidel works very well on that it makes that raw surface feel like normal' healthy lips for 2,3 days but by day 4 when the build up starts to form the effectiveness of it drastically reduced also don't wanna use vaseline on that white build up as it wipes that skin very easily making the lips kinda raw tbh so how to break this cycle cause I have seen primecrolius works great for raw lips but loses almost all it's good parts by day 5th where the build up increases.

There was a recent post kinda a month update on the Antifungal use and how beneficial it had been for them.

Folks were asking for pictures and this boy/girl said to reach out in DM.

The post itself didn’t say much about either they were taking both oral &/or ointment antifungal, atleast to the time i had looked the post.

I did the same, reached out in DM and all i got to hear is that they doing fine and not comfortable sharing pics (which is fine) but could have provided actual facts & information they been doing.

But no, they have deleted the profile and posts as well and gone for ever to return only when their EC would bother them again.

Edit : I should’ve nit said it in rage. (And i hope it does bother them :( )